What are houses made of!!??

[StevieD]

Kat, Pink bats are a native species of NZ - ask Moorf (I think?? Apologies if not Moorf !! )

[foolsgold99]

www.pinkbatts.co.nz

[Rick Brighton]

Cheers Folks!! We will definately be looking around a few properties on our 5 week tour of NZ - 16 days to go!!!! It is blowing a howling gale outside at the moment, even with double glazing, good insulation and a proper roof - its still cold!!

Thanks for your comments though!

Rick & Emma

[Diny]

Oh NZ houses - what a joke !!! They're simply not up to the job. Flimsy yes - but like Veronica says, there's a reason for that.

One thing that will startle you is that on a cold winters day (and YES - NZ does have cold winter days) - the temp will be warmer outside than inside. Strange but true.

However, all is not lost. Just make sure you get a house which is insulated to the hilt. We live in a 1910 character home with very high ceilings. We have pink batts, wall insulation and under floor insulation, a wood burner the size of a mini cooper, ducted warm air transfer and a storage heater in the hall. Our house is toasty warm. I've even had occasions (last winter) when some Kiwi friends would come and visit and would instantly start taking off layers of 'woolies' complaining that they could never live in a house as hot as mine !!!!

You'll be OK once you've actually learned how to get your house warm. Once you've learned how to 'drive' your wood burner and pick up all the little tricks of the trade, such as closing all the curtains (in the winter) before the sun goes down. Would never have thought of that but it makes a big difference. Also thermal lined curtains are the way to go.

When all is said and done though, houses over here simply lack the guts - it's pretty much like living in a mobile home, something which makes me feel that houses over here aren't really that reasonably priced. Where else in the world would you pay upwards of $270k for a garden shed?

Diny

[StevieD]

But at least you get pink bats in the loft

[dbonnett]

Where else in the world would you pay upwards of $270k for a garden shed?
Diny

Sorry Diny, but I couldn't resist (this had stuck in my mind from a while back)
Tiny shed sells for $269,100 in Dublin (and those be USD...)

[Singel]

Sorry Diny, but I couldn't resist (this had stuck in my mind from a while back)
Tiny shed sells for $269,100 in Dublin (and those be USD...)

how about this : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/4635645.stm

[Simon & Emily]

Given that $270K is about £100,000, you can't buy anything around here for that, not even mobile homes. And we have today had hosepipe bans go into force, whilst the river is flooded, camp sites are water logged and it's raining cats and dogs outside .........

Emily

[willsken]

Given that $270K is about £100,000, you can't buy anything around here for that, not even mobile homes. And we have today had hosepipe bans go into force, whilst the river is flooded, camp sites are water logged and it's raining cats and dogs outside .........

Emily

It's a farce isn't it? They should just fix the leaky pipes that have needed repairing for years. Of course they don’t want to be wasting their shareholders money doing that, so we have to be the ones that are put out again!

[Hannah]

Wooden

Cold

Damp

Condensation

One gas heater to heat whole house

Warmer outside than inside

Think that about sums up my rental house